I love opera and am thinking of attending the Bayreuth Festival sometime in the future. I have heard that there is a 10 year waiting list for the Ring Cycle! Yikes! I'd like to attend while my hearing is still acute.

Do Ziners have any insight into this? Have any of you attended? Is it better to buy a package or just the performance tickets and make hotel reservations separately? Also, if this is part of a two or three week holiday, what would you recommend for after the festival? Any and all information will be welcome.

I saw a performance of Die Walkurie this month, Siegfried is on for next season and I hope to attend the full cycle when Toronto's new opera house opens for the 2005-06 season.

Any other comments about buying tickets for, and attending, operas in any of the great houses in Europe would also be appreciated. I think it would be interesting to plan my own grand tour.

Lucy, Toronto